Ballard Custom Audio in
Seattle Hill (WA)

I heave joy and respect toward Bill and Mark at Ballard Custom Audio. My experience here is in my pantheon of best purchases EVER! They found a way to fit an Alpine head-unit into my 2014 Buick Verano by moving un-needed dashboard buttons onto a shelf in my glovebox and they still work! Of course the project included amplifiers and outstanding new speakers but perhaps most amazing is the noise-deadening work they did throughout the car... After all of their hardware hacking to get the system in (on a car that should not possibly have a way to fit a replacement stereo), ALL of the rattles and noises of the past are GONE. The car went from good Buick-Opel sound isolation to something more like Audi, so basically Bill and Mark upgraded my whole car along with the stereo. I would've gone out-of-state to get this level of service -- so thankful this shop is in Ballard! Please see the amazing before-and-after attached photos...

Do not trust their words, they are liars. I gave them a call requesting if they can install my dash cam purchased from Amazon with hardware kit. They didn’t even look at what kind of dashcam I had and said Amazon dash cams won’t work on my car and I have to return it back & purchase one of the dashcam from their store. Later, I went to Car toys and they were able to easily install the dashcam. Now I have dashcam installed in my car and works perfect!

I recently embarked on a mission to beef up the stereo in my 2015 RAV4. Apart from collecting a few quotes from other audio shops, I really had no idea what I was doing. I called into Ballard Custom Audio and spoke with Bill, who invited me down to the shop later that day. We started chatting and one of the first things he asked me was what kind of music I like to listen to, and what my goals were in a new stereo (loudness, clarity, power etc). That was the first time I'd been asked that after weeks of getting quotes elsewhere, and it signaled to me that they are actually invested in their customer's experience, rather than just making the next sale. Bill and I worked together to spec out a system that met my goals for sound while staying within my budget. He also called out several things to look for or ask about when talking to other installers, as there are many shortcuts folks take to save money and time, but deliver a worse result. It was a no-brainer for me to go with Ballard Custom Audio for my system and after 4 months I can confidently say I have zero regrets. The install is so clean you wouldn't know the car had any work (despite the 10" sub in the back). Bill's product recommendations hit the nail on the head in terms of delivering me the sound I was after, and he even threw in some free sound deadening since it would have taken me slightly over budget. Couple in the extended manufacturer's warranty and the lifetime install warranty and I don't know why you'd get your stereo done anywhere else. Thank you Ballard Custom Audio!

Fantastic and quality work. I had my 2009 Jeep Commander upgraded with new deck, speakers, sub and amp. The attention to detail was spectacular. Worth every penny. Bill’s team followed through on everything we discussed during the consultation and more. If you want it done right the first time, this is the place to go without exception.

Bill at Ballard custom audio is a joy to work with. Great product recommendations, fabulous work, and wonderful customer service. In addition to dash cams that were installed beautifully, he installed a car play unit in a vehicle model that DIY installers on reddit stated was very hard to upgrade. Bill had no issue.

Bill is a perfectionist! And I mean that in every aspect of how he runs his business. I knows before he attempts. His experience preceeds every project that enters his shop. He is very accessable and is more than willing to answer any questions regarding your installation project. You will be more than satisfied with Ballard Custom Audio. I will not go any where else for automotive audio installation.

Really impressed with Ballard Custom Audio. I have a 2014 FJ Cruiser, and they just replaced the original Toyota/JBL radio/CD player with a new SONY AXV-AX6000 head unit. I now have wireless CarPlay (no need for Bluetooth, though that's better too), and much better sound (the Sony really takes advantage of the premium sound system I bought when I purchased the car... I had no idea what I was missing!). BAC also installed a SAT Radio tuner so I could maintain my Sirius subscription. I am driving across the country at the end of May and really looking forward to the trip now that I've finished the upgrade. Lots of thanks to Bill and the team.

Bill and Mark installed a backup camera in my Z3 roadster; not an easy feat. Result is spectacular. From start to finish Bill took personal care of the technical aspects and quality installation. Highly recommend.

Had a really positive experience with Ballard Custom Audio. They installed a dashcam (front and rear), as well as aftermarket stereo, in my Porsche Taycan. Their work was flawless, and is completely reversible (should I choose to trade my vehicle in instead of buying it at the end of my lease). I am especially impressed with the custom enclosure work they did for the subwoofer in the trunk; the final result looks like it easily could have been factory-installed. Highly recommend this shop, and fully expect to use them again myself.

Quality client service can still be found and it is at Ballard Custom Audio! I had cameras installed on my Lexus through another company. I have made repeated trips back to them and the cameras are still not workable. I went to Ballard Custom Audio out of frustration. Bill is the BEST! He asked questions, he answered my questions and he listened. His explanations were clearer than what I had been hearing from the other company. So, back to the other company I go, better informed. Bill is knowledgeable, he's been in the trade for 30 odd years. He is patient, willing to share his expertise and would not accept any payment. Thank you Bill.

I was unable to get the radio to work in my new car and called Ballard Custom Audio for advice since the car dealer wasn’t helpful. Not only did the owner of Ballard Custom Audio, Bill, empathetically listen on the phone, he encouraged me to bring the car in, indicating he’d happily help me out. I went the next morning and learned a lot about my technology system from Bill, including how to work it properly. Bill gave me his full attention and expertise for a 30-40 minute chunk of time and didn’t ask for any payment. (I’m sending him a check — his time was worth it). I highly recommend using Ballard Custom Audio for an uplifting and very helpful experience!

Mark and Bill are amazing and helpful. I had a crappy CarPlay put in by someone else at Car Toys and it turned out to be horrible. I called about my concern and that I just wanted the old system back. It took them 10mins and they really are the best and I did not feel taken advantage of unlike my last experience. I went to Car Toys in Bellevue for the old system and I kid you not it took them 6 hours! I do not recommend going to the Car Toys instead go here. I really highly recommend them.

I had a Thinkware u3000 dashcam installed on a Subaru Outback. Bill and Mark were both great to work with, professional, thorough, and quick. Price overall was also very reasonable. Great business - would highly recommend anyone to work with Ballard Custom Audio.

I came in to check out options for a new head unit in my Honda Fit... Bill showed me a few and said he had done this install a few times. I dropped off the car in the morning and he finished the same day. Quality install and professional treatment from these guys! Highly recommend.

Ballard Custom Audio 310 NW 40th St, Seattle is located down the alley, look for the banner above the garage doors. See the picture if you can’t find us. Cheers

Do you want to trust your vehicle to a shop that's customer-obsessed and super passionate and knowledgeable? Go no further, these are your people. Bill and friends did a sound deadening, speaker upgrade w/ amps and rewiring, head unit swap, and dashcam install. There was a minor issue with steering wheel controls at some point and these guys got me on the schedule immediately and fixed it in an hour. My passengers have been blown away by the difference before and after the upgrades. This is the gold standard and if y'all want to pay for quality and service this is it!

Bill and his crew are wonderful! We bought a used Prius with a faulty sound system that was draining the battery and causing issues starting the car. Bill's team answered all our questions over the phone and even accommodated an in-person assessment. The did diagnostics and checked the battery health, removed questionable wiring, and gave us great advice on fixing or replacing the battery—all for free. The team has great vibes and is clearly expert in both sound systems and cars in general. Highly recommend Bill and his team as they knew more about my car’s electrical/sound issues more than most mechanics I went to. We hope to be back for future upgrades as well!

Had Bill install an Apple CarPlay compatible receiver a couple years ago. When it went bad this year, he spent over an hour trying to get it working, at no charge. When that didn’t work, he recommended a new Sony receiver and gave me a deal on the installation. Appreciated the customer service and flawless work. Highly recommend this local business.

Wanted to love it. Read all the raving reviews, but for the $5,200 I spent here, unfortunately I didn't get a $5,200 product, install, OR service. The good: knob for bass on steering column looks like stock part, except rattling issue on one side, the mids and highs sound great. The experience/the bad/the ugly: I bought a new car for the first time ever, and was excited to get a new audio system put in. Bill looked at the car and made a recommendation for all new speakers + a 12" sub in the trunk. I specifically asked for a lot of bass. When I came to pick up the car, the bass wasn't really there. My trunk was also not latching and subsequently the car wouldn't lock. The next day, the driver side A pillar cover almost fell off after just a couple of hours of driving the car. I expected some of this haphazard stuff from a cheaper install, but this was over $5,000... He said come back and we'll fix it. So I did and he flipped the subwoofer around to make it put more bass into the car. Why this wasn't done in the first place when I specifically asked for a lot of bass I dont know. Unfortunately now with it flipped, you could see ugly glue and wiring sticking out of the otherwise perfect new box (picured). He also redid a clip on the A-pillar and I was off to the races, happy that I got at least a little more bass! The A-pillar cover fell off again the next day and it still to this day won't stay on fully as pictured. After a few months, the passenger side door started producing a lot of rattling. When I called Bill about this he said "hey bring it back and if it's because there is not enough sound deadening mat in there, we'll charge you $60 to put in another sheet and that should fix it." Not really what I expected after already spending $5,200 and already having MULTIPLE significant flaws with the install, service, and product. I didn't take him up on this offer as by now I had fully lost trust in his ability to execute on a high end product or service. I do home renovations for a living, and if there is a defect in my product within a year after install, we come out ASAP and fix it free of charge. We don't nickle and dime people who pay us good money. Just a bummer of an experience all around. I recommend looking elsewhere as it seems like he is perhaps caring less and less about the quality of service being provided.

The aftermarket Kenwood receiver in my auto radio suddenly quit working. After reading such great reviews about Ballard Custom Audio, I stopped by the shop. He ask me a few questions, and then he gave me a tooth pick to try resetting the radio. The radio works fine now, I never would have thought about resetting it. Thank you so much. What a helpful shop!

Amazing! Bill is genuinely a highly intelligent, passionate, artist of his craft. He and his employee (the smiling man) did an outstanding, expeditious, professional job of installing an alarm system in our car. They understood the importance and got us in the day after we called. The installation is super clean and the alarm works great. I have much appreciation and respect for these guys!

BEST EXPERIENCE EVER!!!! Look no further for your car audio needs! I had initially made the mistake of going to Car Toys- where I sat in a fishbowl of a waiting room for 7 hours only to leave empty handed as nobody there knew how to install a CarPlay stereo. Skeptical that anyone could help me, I decided to give it one more shot and paid a visit to Ballard Custom Audio. The owner Bill was more than happy to do a quick on-the-spot consultation, he took one look at my vehicle and assured me the job would be a piece of cake for his team. He walked me through the different options and made recommendations based on what would work best with my vehicle. We booked an appointment for a couple of weeks later- which was today. I dropped my car off at 10:00, and drove away with my new Apple CarPlay stereo 2 1/2 hours later! The stereo works great, is easy to use, and I simply could not be happier! Bill and his team are clearly top notch professionals in this industry! If/when I have future audio needs, Ballard Custom Audio is the ONLY place I will trust my car to!

Bill and Ballard Custom Audio is awesome, period end of sentence. Alright you want more detail, fine. I took my 2016 Audi S4 into Bill and his team to install a wireless CarPlay/Android Auto integration system into my existing OEM radio. Bill understood at the end of the day I wanted my car to look stock. He absolutely hit the nail on the head with his selection of equipment and the finished product meeting my intent. The system is truly integrated into my OEM stereo AND I have all the functionality of the Apple CarPlay ecosystem! If I could give 6 stars I would. One final word, Bill's services may NOT be the cheapest you'll find. However, if you want quality and peace-of-mind you won't always find the cheapest pricing. You need to decide what's most important for you and your install. I needed high end finishes and experience for a finicky European vehicle; Bill delivered!

Woah!!!!!! Ballard Custom Audio is amazing and Bill and Zach are awesome. They built a custom fiberglass subwoofer cabinet, installed a head unit, all new speakers and 2ch dash cam in my ‘18 RAV4 and they did amazing work. They also really care about doing the job right and stand behind everything they do. Very knowledgeable and make sure that the customer understands how everything works and are around for any support/question that may come up. I highly recommend Ballard Custom Audio and I will be a lifetime customer and can’t wait to use them again. Amazing work.

Nothing but great things from Ballard Custom Audio, He set up the units behind the rear seat of my F-150. Alot of work to rewire the entire system but he was able to manage it and now, the audio BANGS WITH my 4-8" sub woofers. The mids and highs were also swapped with high end components . If you want it done right, with no problems after, Definitely give em a call, i know i will!

Brought my 370Z to Bill’s shop for help with a stereo install done elsewhere that caused the car’s airbag light to come on and stay on. It turned out to be a dealer only issue to resolve, but the time Bill spent looking into it and the great advice he gave me left a great impression on me. Several months later when I was ready to replace the stereo I happily returned to Ballard Custom Audio. Bill listened to what I wanted, made great suggestions, then proceeded with a flawless install at a fair price – everything done exactly as he said it would be down to the last detail. Bill obviously takes great pride in his work as well he should.

This is the place you guys should go to. Definitely appreciate his help. Taught me what, how and why.. Bill, I owe you man! I totally learnt a lot! I got there and been there for like half an hour and all done. Ballard Custom Audio, guys!